


Swan Lake

by Nelioe



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Not Related, Fluffy Ending, Fíli Is a Sweetheart, Hurt Kíli, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Kíli, M/M, rude Kíli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 21:47:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7285924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nelioe/pseuds/Nelioe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Right when Kili thought to have achieved his goal, it is taken from him. Jealousy at his replacement was inevitable. Falling for him on the other hand came as a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swan Lake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ultimatebookworm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultimatebookworm/gifts).



> I really hope the story meets your taste!
> 
> This is the prize (a 2k-3k words fanfic by me) for ultimatebookworm for the Spring Fandom Raffle Exchange on Tumblr. 
> 
> The prompt was FiKi in a Ballet AU. :)

 

 

“Geez, can he drive more slowly?” Kili wondered in annoyance.

They were in a crucial rehearsal-phase with the premiere only two weeks away. Perhaps he wouldn’t be that worried about showing up a little too late if he hadn’t managed to get the leading role this time and tried to be perfectionist. He had worked so hard, could barely believe it when Thorin, responsible for the production and cast, informed him that he wanted Kili for the role of Siegfried for their performance of _Swan Lake_. From that day on, Kili’s desire to prove himself had increased tenfold. He was dancing classic ballet since he was four years old, even though in the beginning it had a playful character and couldn’t always be described as dancing, and now his ambition was awoken. Kili wanted to show Thorin that he was fit for more leading roles, but to achieve this he had to be successful on the day of the premiere and the days following, his ambition therefore not allowing him to give less than his best.

“The crash wasn’t his fault,” Ori tried to calm him.

The redhead was his flatmate and ballet dancer as well. It was easy to talk for him, though. He had a smaller part and played the jester. Kili on the other hand wanted to curse. He didn’t want to disappoint Thorin, didn’t want to disappoint Tauriel – playing Odette and Odile – but most of all, didn’t want to disappoint himself. He knew he could do it and now that he was given the chance to prove it, failing was out of question.

“I can already see the bus stop, when does this traffic jam end?” Kili groaned.

In the end it took them another ten minutes until the bus finally stopped and dropped them off. They were already half an hour late and so Kili urged Ori to hurry up as they ran over the wide Theatre Square. The stage door of the opera was almost in reach, when the brunet was reminded of the cobblestone under his feet.

One moment he was running, in the next he slipped, twisting his ankle as he fell. The pain hit him so suddenly he hadn’t even time to cry out. He could hear Ori call his name, as he rolled onto his side, hands going to his ankle and holding it as if it could soothe the sharp pain.

“Fuck,” he groaned with Ori hovering beside him, obviously unsure what to do.

“Shit, Kili! Are you alright?”

“My ankle hurts,” he pressed through clenched teeth, a frown of anguish furrowing his brow.

This couldn’t be happening. Not yet, so shortly before the premiere. He and his damn ego and his wish for success! Why couldn’t he have walked normally to the stage door? Surely Thorin would’ve been sympathetic about their delay. But no, he had to run, had to slip, had to fall and had to hurt his freaking ankle! He was such an idiot, unable to stop the angry tears wandering to his eyes. Of all the days he could’ve hurt his foot throughout his whole life, it had to be today.

“Can you stand up?” his flatmate asked him worriedly.

“I don’t know,” he said, but tried nonetheless, immediately realising that he couldn’t put weight on his hurt foot.

Ori was quick to support him, silently offering Kili to lean against him, which the brunet did without hesitation. They got inside, finding him a spot where he could take a seat and Ori was off to get something to cool his ankle and to inform the others.

Soon Bard and Tauriel showed up to keep him company, while Thorin made some phone calls. Kili wanted to cling to the hope that it wasn’t too bad, that he would be able to dance at the premiere, although he couldn’t help but curse himself for his stupidity in between.

The time he should’ve spent rehearsing was passed in the A&E. As one of the few people in the opera actually having a car in the big city and not counting on public transportation, Thorin had driven him to the hospital, whereas his assistant Bilbo Baggins oversaw the rehearsal.

All of Kili’s fears were confirmed after an X-ray. While thankfully nothing was broken, the ligaments in his ankle were sprained. The pain would most likely be gone in a week, the warning of the doctor was clear, however. No straining activity for at least a month to ensure the ligaments could heal completely.

Kili wouldn’t dance at the premiere.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Two days later there was a replacement and the cast list on the website had changed. This was his value, two days’ worth of searching. It showed him how insignificant he truly was. Kili hadn’t thought about it in a long while. He was part of the ballet ensemble of the opera house already for a couple of years and got along so well with his colleagues that he had forgotten about the hard competition of this business.

Now, as he stared at the new guy, shaking hands and chatting so easily with Thorin and the other dancers, Kili felt as if a part of his life had been ripped from his hands. No one was irreplaceable and the knowledge stung, causing him to wonder what good was all that training, all the hard work, if in the end it would be of no use, seeing as everyone was beaming with joy at Fili’s presence.

“Don’t pull such a face. Ballet is like your second nature. There will be other leading roles.”

Kili knew Ori was trying to cheer him up, but it wasn’t working. It didn’t matter if there were possible leading roles in the future. He’d already gotten one, but ruined it in his eagerness for success. They would dance _Swan Lake_ for a good long while. It wasn’t like this was only a thing of a few couple of weeks. It was part of the program for _months_. And if Fili didn’t turn out to be a huge failure, then he wouldn’t be recast. Word-to-mouth recommendation was important and if the blond did his job well, then the audience would want to see him. The best Kili could hope for at the moment was to become Fili’s understudy after his recovery. Someone Thorin hadn’t cast before, because no one had managed to bring the same emotional depth to Siegfried, he would’ve liked.

For not finding anyone suitable in his own ensemble as the understudy, Thorin had been surprisingly fast to pull Fili out of the hat. The hurt sensation inside him grew, as the bitter taste on his tongue increased.

“Bilbo told me Fili had stopped dancing on the stage a while ago, because he enjoys teaching ballet more. He has already worked with so many famous dancers and helped them to adapt to the depth of certain roles, although he seems to like teaching kids the most. It will be amazing having him working with us this season. He even adjusted his schedule at the ballet school so he could step in for you,” his flatmate enthused over him.

Kili wasn’t sure anymore if he should be glad for Ori’s decision to remain at his side, instead of diving into the conversation going on. Couldn’t he idolise Fili in someone else’s presence?

Luck wasn’t on his side today. Right when he wanted to give his friend a piece of his mind, the blond suddenly headed over to them, introducing himself to Ori and shaking his hand. The redhead babbled with excitement, happy to finally receive his chance to talk with Kili’s replacement.

The brunet took this as a sign, reached for the crutches, leaning beside the chair, and got up from where he’d put his injured foot up. His movement caught Fili’s attention. He smiled at Kili in the same way he’d smiled at everyone so far. Kili hoped he would choke on it.

“Hi! We haven’t met so far. My name is Fili Prince. It’s nice to meet you.”

Kili ignored the outstretched hand, scowled at that stupid face and hobbled towards the exit.

“Kili!” he could hear Ori gasp with shock, followed by, “I apologise for his behaviour. Usually he isn’t such a jerk.”

He would rather be rude than become friends with the man that had taken his role and all his dreams for the future.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Kili couldn’t say why he was doing this to himself. Why he went to the rehearsals, sat in the house and watched Fili dance _his_ role. Perhaps he wanted to be present for failures -  which never happened - or simply had a masochistic vein. Whatever the reason was, he once again found himself glaring at Fili, as the blond rehearsed the first act along with the others.

With his arms folded in front of his chest and his hurt foot, still held by a support bandage, stretched out, he tried to swallow the jealousy seething inside him as he watched Fíli jump and spin. He didn’t want to admit it, but the blond was good, far too good. His body tension was on point, the emotions on his features were believable and he seemed to blend in with the dancing crowd, as if the role had always belonged to him.

Kili clenched his teeth so hard his muscles began to hurt.

It was only during a break that the brunet noticed Fili heading purposefully into his direction. Kili had half a mind to grab his crutches and do a runner, since he truly wasn’t up to talk to this _oh, so perfect_ guy. He decided against it, however, unable to get up fast enough and even though the swelling on his foot had decreased and the pain lessened, he was still far from bouncing around. Instead he allowed Fili to walk over to him.

“Okay, mate. What’s your problem?” the blond asked, clearly fed up with Kili’s glares.

“What do you mean?” the brunet feigned ignorance.

Mimicking Kili’s posture, Fili folded his arms in front of his chest and huffed with obvious annoyance. He hadn’t actually expected to be confronted about it, despite provoking it in the first place.

“You know what I mean. Glaring at me all the time as if I’ve murdered your puppy. It’s unnerving.”

“Well, good! It’s unnerving to see you dance, too!” Kili snapped.

Fili blinked in confusion and Kili felt the sudden urge to punch that clueless, innocent face.

“You want to know, what my problem is? You are my problem! You come here and take _my_ role. I worked all my life to get a leading role! And when I finally reached my goal, I thought all the hard work was worth it, but oh no, how wrong I was! Because it took them two freaking days to replace me. So excuse me that I’m not happy and make mooneyes at you after you are living my dream and I’m stuck here!”

Kili probably had to be grateful that Fili was neither laughing, nor swearing, nor threatening him to report his behaviour to Thorin. But the silence following wasn’t any less agitating. Kili was shaking with suppressed frustration, even now barely able to believe that the premiere would happen without him.

There was such a big repertoire of reactions Kili expected, the blond sitting down beside him, however, didn’t belong to it.

“I’m not stealing your dream,” Fili said surprisingly gentle, causing Kili to stare at him in disbelief. “I never hurt one of my feet, so I can’t imagine how you must feel right now, to be robbed of something that’s an inextricably part of you, but I’m not taking this role away from you. I’m not here to stay forever. I prefer teaching, I’m just here because Thorin is an old friend. You will dance Siegfried.”

He sounded so sure and was truly far too kind after Kili had treated him the way he did. Yet, after seeing Fili dance, after experiencing how easily a dancer was replaceable, the brunet couldn’t help the insecurities twining around him.

“No one will want to see me, after they saw you,” Kili mumbled, looking bashfully to the ground as a new sense of vulnerability attacked him.

“They will. You were chosen for this part for a reason and as soon as people see you, they will love you. Don’t give up so soon.”

Kili swallowed hard, unable to reply. And really, how could he reply? Fili should’ve snapped at him, call him out on his bullshit, instead he was offering him understanding and reassuring words Kili didn’t deserve.

Even if he would’ve found the right words to respond, he wouldn’t be given the time to utter them, seeing as the break was over and Fili had to return to the rehearsal.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Fili’s words were stuck in his memory, returning some of his confidence and assuring him that he was still part of the ensemble, even if he didn’t feel like it. This was why he continued watching the rehearsals, regardless if they took place on stage or in the ballet hall. He came to show them his support and certainly not because he had developed a crush for Fili, no, that would be ridiculous. Kili hadn’t taken notice of the cute dimples, his kind glances or his patience. Hadn’t come to like his laugh or the soft giggling or his bad jokes, easing the tense atmosphere coming with the approaching premiere.

No, he simply admired Fili for his skills as the breathtaking dancer that he was and definitely hadn’t noticed how well he filled out his tights.

Kili blushed madly as his eyes wandered somewhere he seriously shouldn’t stare at. Dropping his gaze the brunet hoped no one had registered what had piqued his interest. Stubbornly looking at the wall, Kili hoped to calm his rapidly pounding heartbeat, while willing the burning sensation from his cheeks.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

By the time the premiere took place Kili was able to walk again without crutches. The pain had faded completely, but he was not yet allowed to strain his foot. He had taken a seat in a loge that wasn’t among the ticket sale, for it sometimes contained technical equipment and didn’t offer such a great view anyway, as close to the stage as it was. For Kili it was enough.

Somehow it felt as if he was watching _Swan Lake_ for the first time, for more than one reason. Not being one of the soloists was strange at first, after all, it had been a role Kili had assumed for years, but he soon lost track of their movements and only focused on Fili, looking in the costume and makeup like the symbol of a true prince. His appearance, combined with his talent, displaying such deep emotions on his features wasn’t only able to charm him, but won also the audience over, as the furious clapping after the individual choreographies indicated.

Kili found himself lost in Fili’s performance, music and light appearing much more powerful compared to the rehearsals. He felt completely enamoured, as if he was rediscovering his love for ballet despite never losing it. But how else could he describe what Fili unleashed inside him, as prince Siegfried danced among people in the ballroom, went on a hunt, spotted Odette, engaged a dance with her, was betrayed by Von Rothbart, but still managed to be reunited with his love in the end.

They were all amazing, Fili, Tauriel, Ori, Bard, all the soloists… Thorin had outdone himself and left Kili deeply moved, tears burning behind his eyes as the audience broke into applause. They all raised a cheer, but none as loud as Tauriel and Fili received. And they deserved it. Especially Fili, adapting to a role at such short-notice, regardless of his background.

There was truly only one thing for him to do afterwards. With a clear destination in mind, the brunet wandered backstage, straight to Fili’s dressing room. Knocking softly, he was immediately asked to enter.

The room was a mess. Fili had just gotten rid of the makeup and a part of his sweaty costume, wearing only his ballet shoes, the tights and a comfortable shirt. He smiled brightly at Kili, as soon as his eyes turned to him.

“Kili! I didn’t know you would be watching.”

He was still amazed how easily the blond had forgiven him for his outburst and even though there had barely been the time for them to exchange words during rehearsals, Fili treated him like a friend without hesitation.

“Well, we are a team and worked hard for this day, so I couldn’t really stay away,” he explained, before grinning shyly at Fili. “I actually came to congratulate you. You were amazing.”

The blond’s smile softened.

“Thank you. I’m glad you think so,” he replied sincerely.

They stared at each other for a couple of heartbeats, neither knowing how to continue, until the awkward silence made them laugh bashfully in unison.

“Well,” Fili replied eventually. “Are you going to the after-show party?”

“Of course, as I said, we are a team and I want to celebrate the successful premiere!” Kili told him with a wink.

He supressed the urge to frown, when he saw a brief trace of relief pass Fili’s expression. Perhaps his initial aversion had worried the other dancer more than he’d let on?

“Hey, uhm… about that one time,” Kili stammered therefore. “I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like this.”

“It’s fine, Kili, really,” and even though he truly appeared like he meant it, there was something in his gaze the brunet couldn’t quite place. “I… ah… I want to be honest,” Fili added, taking a deep breath.

Kili couldn’t help the sudden sense of dread, washing over him like a wave, as he stared at the other like a deer caught in the headlights. There had never come anything good of sentences beginning like this.

“I like you, Kili. I know we haven’t talked that much so far, but I can’t help how I feel and would like to get to know you better.”

His head had a hard time processing what Fili had just said. He… he liked him? The way Kili liked Fili? Indeed? This almost seemed too good to be true.

At his lack of response a blush of embarrassment crept to Fili’s features, before he coughed uncomfortably.

“Or not… I mean, I don’t want to make things awkward.”

Warmth flooded Kili’s chest as he bridged the distance between them and pecked Fili on the lips in a moment of boldness, joy capturing his heart. He couldn’t say what he’d done to have someone like Fili crushing on him, but he certainly wouldn’t complain, rather hoped to turn it into more than a simple crush.

“How about we search for a quiet place at the party and get to know each other?” Kili asked him, the excitement hastening his heartbeat vibrating through his body.

Dimples greeted him at the widest smile Fili had ever offered him.

“I like the way you think.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Why did I choose Swan Lake? Unfortunately because it's the only ballet I've ever seen. :/


End file.
